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Social Change Project 1 Policy Alternative Kadaja S. Tennessee Walden University SOCW 6361: Social Policy: Analysis and Advocacy Dr. Linda Samuel November 19, 2023

Social Change Project 2 Part 1: What is the policy alternative? The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was the first federal legislation to criminalize domestic violence and sexual assault and provide federal resources to encourage coordinated community responses to violence against women. Although the policy aims to improve domestic violence laws to protect victims, there is still a need for improved policies to expand mental health services and prevention programs for the victims' children who witness domestic violence. The alternative policy would require judges to undergo mandatory training on trauma and domestic violence to provide a comprehensive understanding of how domestic violence affects not only victims and survivors, but also their children. Raising awareness of this social issue will enable judges to deliver justice and provide appropriate services to survivors and their children. Title XV keeping children safe from family violence, line 10 of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 indicates that judges assigned to domestic violence cases aren't required to undergo any requisite training are allowed to make decisions on such sensitive matters (Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022, 2022). According to Right to Equality (2023) to make sound decisions, judges must have a thorough understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence and compassion for victims’ experiences. The policy should require states to complete annual educational domestic violence and trauma training and receive a certification that can be renewed each year the training is completed. Implementing this change would assist in making more effective and informed decisions when handling cases that involve domestic violence and trauma so victims and their children are protected and able to obtain support to improve their mental health. The educational training should include coaching on

Social Change Project 3 detecting signs of mental abuse and strategies on how to effectively respond to this issue in court. State or Local Domestic violence is a national social problem, so the policy alternative would be addressed on the federal level. Domestic violence and trauma training for judges would have to be mandated in all states. When children are faced with adversity, it is an obligation of judges to take into account the impact of those experiences during judicial proceedings in order to effectively represent the voices of vulnerable children (Hutchinson, 2021). Forums, in-person, or web-based training could all be used to meet this requirement. Congruent w/ Social Work Values? Since working closely with the community, social workers always are at the forefront of addressing social problems. One of the primary roles of social workers is to protect the well-being of children in need (NASW, 2021). The policy alternative would be consistent in its commitment to competence and social justice. It resonates with competence by mandating judges to practice in their respective area of expertise (NASW, 2021). Furthermore, It is aligned with social justice because it advocates for vulnerable groups such as children (NASW, 2021). Nonetheless, the policy alternative upholds the social work mission by improving the well-being of children and their needs by offering relevant resources and support services through court mandates. Feasibility of the Alternative Policy The policy alternative would be more feasible because it would be implemented as a prevention strategy, which would result in a decrease of domestic violence cases as well as

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Social Change Project 4 children being exposed due to more informed decisions. However, as a policy advocate, it is critical to attract the attention of decision makers to effectively promote and advance change. According to Jansson (2017), it is essential to gain media attention in order to put pressure on decision makers to change their policy. Decision makers pay attention when an issue becomes popular or newsworthy (Kabiri et al., 2021). Since being published in 1994, President Biden has remained an active participant in improving the policy. To obtain support from the federal administration, Biden could help advocate for the policy alternative and highlight how it would reduce the negative consequences for children who have witnessed domestic violence and reduce domestic violence cases. Yet, children that have been exposed to domestic abuse have been deemed as victims of domestic abuse in their own right, rather than simply witnesses, under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Policy Goals Children and their mental health continues to be affected by domestic violence. Finkelhor et al.,. (2009) found that almost 1 in 10 American children saw one family member assault another family member, and more than 25 percent had been exposed to family violence during their life. The policy alternative focuses on the well-being of children by creating access to more mental health resources and preventative programs. The policy alternative adheres to social work ethical guidelines by lobbying for change to meet the needs of humans and by advocating for social change. Forces for and against The policy has been consistently supported by President Joe Biden and the majority of Congress. Yet, the proposed change would most likely be opposed by the 172 Republicans that voted against the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022. However, there are

Social Change Project 5 more forces dedicated to preventing domestic violence and instituting prevention plans to aid in the success of this policy alternative. Yet, as stated by President Joe Biden, “this should not be a Democratic or Republican issue — it's about standing up against the abuse of power and preventing violence” (Biden, 2021, as cited in Davis, 2021). Policy Advocacy Skills A policy advocate would need to acquire support from decision makers by using research, initiatives, and attention from the media to influence a policy alternative (Jansson, 2017). Thorough research would be required to learn about decision makers' preferred political parties and which policies they have previously supported. The proposal would highlight domestic violence statistics and the benefits to them of supporting the policy alternative, such as re-election. Clinical Social Work Children who are exposed to violence, whether directly or as bystanders suffer negative and long-term impacts on their emotional, psychological, and physical development (National Institute of Justice, 2016). The policy alternative would support clinical social work practice by aiding children in their recovery from trauma. Providing adequate supportive services would also have an impact on views of the legal system. Policy Changes Social workers should consider administering trauma-informed care to children who have witnessed domestic violence that is culturally sensitive and based on an accurate assessment of physical and psychological violences that corresponds to the children's specific needs. Furthermore, social workers and their colleagues should work to educate the public about the

Social Change Project 6 significant amount of children who have been negatively impacted physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

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Social Change Project 7 References About . NASW, National Association of Social Workers. (2021). https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English Children exposed to violence . National Institute of Justice. (2016, September 21). https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/children-exposed-violence#:~:text=%5B1%5D%20Exposure%2 0to%20violence%20can,in%20criminal%20behavior%20as%20adults Davis, S. (2021, March 17). House Renews Violence Against Women Act, but Senate hurdles remain . NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/03/17/977842441/house-renews-violence-against-women-act-but-sena te-hurdles-remain Finkelhor, D., Ormrod, R. K., & Turner, H. A. 2007a. "Poly-Victimization: A neglected component in child victimization." Child Abuse & Neglect, 31(1), 7-26. H.R.3623 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): To amend the internal revenue ... (n.d.). https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3623 Hutchinson, Dr. H. (2021, September 15). Florida courts. https://www.flcourts.gov/content/download/840632/file/September%202021%20Family%20Cou rt%20Newsletter.pdf Jansson, B. S. (2017). Empowerment Series: Becoming An Effective Policy Advocate (8th ed.). Vitalsource Bookshelf Online. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781337514330

Social Change Project 8 Kabiri, N., Khodayari-zarnaq, R., Khoshbaten, M., Arab-Zozani, M., & Janati, A. (2021). Gastrointestinal cancer prevention policies in Iran: A policy analysis of agenda-setting using Kingdon’s multiple streams Why judges should be trained in domestic abuse and trauma . Right to Equality. (2023, April 11). https://righttoequality.org/why-judges-should-be-trained-in-domestic-abuse-and-trauma/

Social Change Project 9 Part 2: Domestic violence is a global social problem that affects people in every community regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or economic status. It is a problem that continues to have an adverse effect on victims, their families and society as a whole. Domestic violence has both immediate and long-term health, social, and economic effects on victims and those who witness it (OJP, 2022). In my current proposal, the policy I identified is the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and a need for a policy change that would require the policy to expand mental health services and preventative programs for children of domestic violence victims. Children who grow up witnessing domestic violence are among those seriously affected by this crime (OWV, 2023). My experience as a social work professional and my personal goals for advocacy informed my selection of my social problem based on thorough and comprehensive research on domestic violence and how it has evolved into a global social problem that affects people of all socioeconomic status over the years. Yet, it wasn’t until our discussion of policy changes I realized the critical need for support and protection of the children who have been witnesses of domestic violence. But to be honest, my policy analysis does not involve prior experience. However, after carefully analyzing the Violence Against Women Act, I realized the lack of support in the policy for the children of domestic violence victims and survivors. During the process of selecting my social problem, I analyzed a range of societal issues that affect the public and society as a whole. Throughout the selection process, there were social problems such as homelessness, poverty, and substance abuse that were examined before ultimately settling on domestic violence as my social problem. After selecting domestic violence as being a social problem I wanted to address, I began engaging in research and the collection of

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Social Change Project 10 data and statistics to inform my practice and advocacy. I used evidence-based research to inform my proposal for advocacy throughout my Social Change Project so that decision-makers could see and place their attention on how serious domestic violence and the negative effects it places and will continue to place on our society if it isn’t seen a priority to those in leadership positions, such as legislation. My process of investigating and identifying a policy that supported and addressed domestic violence was fairly smooth. Through continual research, I discovered the Violence Against Women Act. The Violence Against Women Act was developed in 1994 and reauthorized four times since and identified as the primary policy that addresses domestic violence and supported victims and survivors of domestic violence. However, after careful analysis, I discovered the lack of support the policies have for the children of survivors and victims of abuse. This discovery jump started my proposal and request of a policy change from decision-makers, on top of the data I previously collected. The recommendation for a policy alternative was developed through my study on the 2022 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, along with continuous research on why the policy alternative should be considered. As I reflect on my experience, to grow as a policy advocate, I would use better strategies such as networking and more intensive goal setting to guide my practice and advocacy as a social worker and policy advocate. Policy is related to direct practice because evolving and collaborative processes both influence and influence each other. Policies and practice are dynamic and interactive processes that both inform and change one another. While policies are based on principles developed by the government, practice is done at the lower levels by individuals such as social workers (Corcoran, 2018). I will apply advocacy skills as a social worker by continuing my education on social problems that affect our practice, society, and

Social Change Project 11 underserved populations. As well as continue translating my research on social problems into social work practice and policies.

Social Change Project 12 References Children exposed to violence . Office of Justice Programs. (2020, January 8). https://www.ojp.gov/program/programs/cev#:~:text=A%20study%20of%20a%20national,homes %2C%20schools%2C%20and%20communities . Corcoran, J. (2018, March 28). Direct practice in Social Work . obo. https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780195389678/obo-9780195389 678-0004.xml#:~:text=obo%2F9780195389678%2D0004-,Introduction,%2C%20group%2C%2 0or%20family%20level . Domestic violence . Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). (2023, October 4). https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence

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